Pondering 1 Samuel 3:1-21

The LORD Calls Samuel
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple [a] of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.

6 Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
"My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

11 And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, [b] and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, 'The guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.' "

15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, "Samuel, my son."
Samuel answered, "Here I am."

17 "What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, "He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes."

19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. 21 The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

Footnotes:
1 Samuel 3:3 That is, tabernacle
1 Samuel 3:13 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition and Septuagint sons blasphemed God

Words/Phrases That Stuck Out:

*** Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord...; verse 7: This just confirms to me that we are not "born knowing God." That may seem like a non-issue to some, but I know that many of us are tempted to think that all we need is to be born to be tight with God. I do not believe that is so, and a passage like this is just evidence...Samuel may have been a decent enough kid, and certainly would become a man in communion with his creator (as we know if we keep reading the story), but there was a time when it was not so...

*** ...revealed...; verse 7: The language used here, while I admit it is "the best stab at biblical linguist scholars translating ancient Hebrew into English," certainly indicates that Samuel coming to truly know the Lord was an act of THE LORD, not Samuel becoming so enlightened or convinced due solely to his own intellect. God does the revealing, the saving, etc., not us... We need to realize that, as there is temptation to think that our own minds are what redeem us, ultimately.

*** "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."; verse 9: Oh, to have that sort of attitude! I can speak for myself, that attitudes such as this are too few-and-far between. I need to pray for this more, seeking to have a listening ear and sensitive heart to what God is saying to me, encouraging me to do. Notice the emphasis on "is": Too often we ask for God to speak to us, to show us the way...when in reality, he already IS speaking to us...we just need to be willing to open up to him, which, of course, is the big struggle.

*** "He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes."; verse 18: Similar to the above passage, the struggle I have here is actually letting God just do his thing... I know that, God will get done what God wants done (regardless if I am used or not), but I know sometimes, well, I just want to be left alone, or I want what BEN wants done...but it may not be part of God's plan. It could be, of course, but I have to listen first, and then be humble enough to follow god's plan (regardless to if I want it or not), and finally have the courage and attitude to keep following and trusting.

Questions for Me:

Am I listening? Better yet, am I even wanting to listen?

Am I one who would do God's request and plan, regardless of if I like it, or if it makes sense to me? What if those closest to me think I'm bonkers? Is it obvious to others (and not so I can "look all spiritual and pat myself on the back...") that I am a man seeking to hear God and do his bidding, thus others close to me trust the word I'm sensing from the Lord? Or, am I so inconsistent in this that trust isn't given/isn't deserved?